School can be so tough. You’re asking your child to go to a completely new place for the majority of their day (or a portion of their day if you’re trying out part-time daycare or preschool) and it’s led by complete strangers. Now add picky eating on top of that… things can get tricky.

Depending on your school, snacks and/or lunch may be offered, or even provided for free. However, school snacks and lunches often are limited in options, which can be challenging for picky eaters with specific food preferences or aversions. If the school menu doesn't include foods that the picky eater likes, they may struggle to find something they want to eat. They may also struggle if they have extreme sensory sensitivities, such as a sensitivity to strong smells. 

I also hear parents of picky eaters, children, and teens say that they feel self-conscious about their food preferences, especially if they are different from their peers. They may worry about being judged or teased for their food choices, which can make mealtimes stressful.

These factors, and more, can make school hard for picky eaters. It's important for parents and educators to be aware of these challenges and work together to find solutions that work for the individual child. Here are four additional tips that I recommended for parents with picky eaters at school: 

Recommendations for Parents with Picky Eaters at School

1. Talk to your child’s school

Talk to your child’s teacher, school nurse, or cafeteria staff about your child's food preferences and any dietary restrictions (this includes allergies too!). They may be able to offer suggestions or accommodations that can make mealtimes more enjoyable for your child, or work with you to come up with a solution.

We provide our clients with a handout that parents can give to their child’s teacher to try to easily “explain” your child’s picky eating situation, such as Avoidant/Restrictive Intake Disorder, so school doesn’t need to be so challenging for them. This handout can help parents have an open conversation with their child’s teacher about food without feeling so stressed about it! Contact us and we can email it to you!

2. Send in additional snacks (or keep a few in your child’s backpack)

Food notoriously comes up in the classroom on random days and times. Maybe it’s Johnny’s birthday and his parents sent in treats without notice, or maybe Tina brought in treats for everyone just because. Sending in a few additional snacks ensures that your child has something they can eat too while everyone is enjoying their treat. 

3. Pack a snack/meal, including a preferred food

Depending on your child’s needs, you may want to consider packing a snack or meal from home that includes foods that your child enjoys and is willing to eat. This can provide peace of mind for both you and your child, and ensure they are getting the nutrition they need during the school day. I recommend always packing 1-2 preferred foods so you know that your child will eat something during the day; those school days can be long and taxing! Also, don’t forget to pack foods in containers that your child can open! 

4. Involve your child in meal planning

Involving your child in meal planning and preparation can help them feel more in control (and may encourage them to try new foods). They may be more likely to eat the foods they bring to school if it’s something they chose or helped plan and prepare vs. opening their lunchbox without knowing what to expect inside.

As a side note, I don’t want you to think that school will only be a negative experience for your picky eater. There are some benefits of school when it comes to picky eating. Here are a couple that I think are most important: 

1. Exposure: One benefit of school is that kids become exposed to a greater variety of foods. Their peers will likely bring snacks or meals from home that can include foods your child has never seen or smelled before. 
2. Socialization: School provides opportunities for picky eaters to eat with their peers and learn about different foods and cultures. This socialization can help reduce anxiety around meal times and encourage them to try new foods in a supportive environment.

Talk to your healthcare provider or seek out support from a feeding specialist if you have concerns about your child’s eating. They can help develop a plan to meet your child’s individualized needs, including searching for underlying causes of your child’s feeding challenges and helping your child expand their food repertoire.

Kelly is a Speech Language Pathologist and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online. She can answer your questions about feeding therapy, speech therapy, virtual therapy, and your child’s or teen’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com/ to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

​There are SO many feeding related products out there and it can be overwhelming for new moms who are just looking for something that will work for their child. You’ll likely find thousands of products if you do a simple search for a “baby spoon” or “open cup” - brands, colors, shapes, prices ranges… Whew. If your child has feeding concerns and you’re not sure what product to buy, it’s important to work with your child’s feeding therapist to find the best product for them. But, here are a few products that I absolutely love: 

Maroon Spoons: Yes - old school and boring!! But this spoon has a very flat and shallow bowl, which means that it's very easy for baby to get food off the spoon. It promotes lip closure, is smooth and light, and is small, which limits the amount of food you can put on the spoon to prevent huge bites. Plus, it's inexpensive!

Honey Bear Cup: This cup is great for teaching your little one how to drink from a straw if it's challenging for them. You can squeeze the body of the bear to make the liquid travel up to the top of the straw, making it easier for them to suck liquid out (they don't have to work as hard if the liquid is already at the top of the straw). Plus, the valve lets liquid flow up into the straw, but doesn't let it flow back down. This tool isn't needed if your child can drink from a straw without any teaching; it's a handy tool to quickly help teach a toddler to suck from a straw (and can usually be faded out rapidly!).

Kids Basix Safe Sippy: Sippy cups typically promote an immature swallow pattern and improper tongue and lip positioning when drinking. This cup allows for some spill-proof drinking (like your typical sippy cup), which is great for parents, but still has a straw feature, which is best for kids when drinking! The straw is nice and short making this perfect for a tiny mouth while still supporting a mature swallow pattern and proper tongue and lip positioning.

The Tiny Cup by EZPZ: Drinking from an open cup helps support oral and speech development, as your child must learn to sip rather than suck (like on a bottle!). This cup is made to support your little one’s transition from a bottle to an open cup. It is small, which means that it will fit in your baby’s mouth and hands, and it holds a small amount of liquid, which can help teach your child to take small sips and swallow rather than take large gulps they could choke on. Plus, the cup is designed with a weighted base and interior angle to support safe drinking.

ENOF (pronounced like “enough”): This nutritional supplement is a great additive for older kids (toddlers +) if you’re worried that your child isn’t eating enough vegetables daily. It’s made from organic vegetable nutrition and you can sprinkle it on top of your child’s foods and/or drinks. A small amount (1/12th of a tsp) equates to 2.5 servings of vegetables! Most parents have said their child doesn’t even taste it. While it’s not made to replace vegetables, I love recommending this to parents of picky eaters in the meantime. 

Kelly is a Speech Language Pathologist and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online. She can answer your questions about feeding therapy, speech therapy, virtual therapy, and your child’s or teen’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com/ to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

You just got a high-tech device for your child and you're looking through all the available icons and pages. It can seem a little overwhelming at first! Learning a new device is honestly like learning a new language. Where do you click to ask someone to stop? What page do you click on to say "uh-oh!" after you spilled something? What icon means, "help"?? For some individuals, they are quick to learn where new symbols are as well as the function/use of them. However, this is not always the case, and it can be hard to not get discouraged! 

If you have been reading some of our posts and other blogs, we have discussed getting “buy in” from the child using the device. But we have not discussed “buy in” from the parent or caregiver, which is just as important! Although it can feel daunting to learn a new way to communicate, modeling use of your child's AAC device during social communication opportunities and functional communication opportunities is one of the best ways to help your child learn to use their device and get their "buy in". Truth is, children are very motivated to use their device by observing their loved ones and others use it! Which means it's also not just you learning your child's system - it's important for everyone communicating with the child to learn the AAC system along with them.

You are not going to get buy-in from asking your child questions, especially about the things they see around them. This can sometimes look like a “drilling” activity. Instead, start by picking out a few simple routines where you can learn the device by modeling. This can help make learning the device seem a little more manageable. Here are a couple of examples: 

Laundry (sorting laundry beforehand, or after they come out!):

• Core vocabulary you can model: in, out, small/little, big, mine, yours, help, my/your turn
• Fringe vocabulary you can model: colors, clothing item names, family member’s names when sorting clothing into piles

Cooking:

• Core vocabulary you can model: in, out, on, on top, around, slow/fast (especially fun if you have a mixer!) 
• Fringe vocabulary you can model: stir, kitchen tools or appliances you’re using, “uh oh” (we all know cooking with a little one can be messy!)

It’s critical to not always model what you think the child wants or needs, but for them to see you model what you want or what you need, as well as how you can participate in a conversation. Try checking out the joke page or preprogramming some interests for the whole family to share stories or talk about recent shared events. 

Chloe is a Speech Pathologist at Picky Eaters Online who has a variety of experiences working with all ages. She has her Graduate Assistive Technology Certificate from East Carolina University, which allows her to evaluate and help individuals find a device to help them communicate. Chloe is offering virtual AAC consultations at the local and national level for pediatrics to adults with developmental disabilities. She can provide 1:1 training to individuals, their families, and ABA professionals to help integrate communication systems and can help tailor your child’s needs with a system that will help them grow their language skills. Contact Chloe by emailing her at chloe@pickyeatersonline.com or schedule your consultation here.

What a wonderful time of the year! Parties, shopping, presents and gatherings - it is a time people look forward to all year. But if your child or teen is one of the many picky eaters out there, the level of stress that you may be feeling over upcoming family meals or parties may be overwhelming. 
 
What will my child or teen be able to eat? What kind of snide comments will I hear from family members if she only eats mac and cheese? Will grandma make me feel awful if she sees my son still drinking from a bottle?  Will my child be cranky and starving if he does not get his usual foods, which will make the whole day miserable? What if my friends think I am a bad parent because my daughter will not try things?  Does anyone know how stressful having a picky eater is on the family, especially during the holidays?

Below are helpful tips from a feeding professional that you can use so you and your family (including your hesitant eater) can attend functions with more holiday cheer and less bah humbug.

Get things out in the open!

Let your family know what is going on and prepare easy explanations beforehand. Let your loved ones know that your child is receiving intervention and educate them. Here are some examples of what you could say: 

• “Layla is sensitive to certain smells and textures. She used to not even be able to be present when I was cooking but she has come a long way! She is now able to eat things that made her throw up before. We work through these things in therapy.”
• “Joey’s tongue doesn’t always move the food to the sides of his mouth to chew properly.  This makes things that should be easy to eat hard for him.”  
• Have some stock responses for well-meaning relatives who enjoy giving advice.  A simple “thanks, we got this” or “no, he won’t just eat if he is hungry enough” may do the trick.

Talk it out

Talk to your child or teen about your expectations.  Will this be a “free” day? What is the expectation for sitting at the table?  Planning things out before the event can help alleviate issues during dinner. Preparation and communication are key.

Ginger, Vanilla and Nutmeg! Oh my!!

Holiday dinner smells are wonderful to us, but may be overwhelming to our sensitive eaters! Prepare accordingly and prep your child so they know there may be smells they are sensitive to that you have no control over. You can practice and expose them to these smells at your own house beforehand.  This may avoid any shocking meltdowns upon arrival.

Prep the Head Chef

Simply let the host know what is going on. This may avoid any awkward in-person situations.  You will eliminate the feeling that you are offending anyone if your child refuses to eat anything that is being served, or they may even prepare one of your child/teen’s safe foods available for everyone at the table. 
 
Holiday time does not equal a therapy session

Remember, this is one meal! You get all week to practice in therapy. If having noodles during holiday dinner and skipping the veggies keeps the peace, let it be. 

Fill up the tank

Consider feeding your child or teen before showing up. This way, you know they are getting what they need, plus it avoids any off-putting questions from people asking about their feeding habits.  Besides, if it is a bigger group with lots of kiddos running around, nobody will even notice they are not taking part in the food part of the day anyways.  

Get into giving!

Volunteer to bring something to share that your child or teen loves to eat.  That way, you know there is at least something there they will devour that you are not pulling out separately for them.  By doing this, your child or teen can eat what they know without anxiety, and as a bonus,  you have contributed to the party.  Even more, you are not drawing extra attention to their feeding behaviors.  Win-win!

Breathe and give YOURSELF a break. It is your holiday too!

We all want our holidays to be perfect.  Sometimes when we have gatherings, family, advice, AND a picky eater it feels impossible.  But remember, you spend every day improving your child’s or teen’s eating habits.  It is okay to take this day and make it special and peaceful by implementing some strategies, and simply enjoy!

Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online. She can answer your questions about feeding therapy, speech therapy, virtual therapy, and your child’s or teen’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com/ to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services. 

Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) emphasize using highly motivating targets for communication, especially when initially introducing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). We can’t expect your little one to communicate for something they don’t want or don’t like. Using highly motivating targets can help lead to early success during therapy and in the home environment. However, implementing AAC at home can be very overwhelming; using highly motivating targets can be easier said than done! What even is a good highly motivating target for your child? What might resonate with one family might not with another and the way each family implements AAC in the home may look very different. So, what are some ways we can use highly motivating targets to encourage communication at home? 

Sometimes families voice that they don’t understand why their child doesn’t want to or won’t use their AAC system. Some children may be more receptive to using their AAC when prompted, whereas others may throw their device due to “feeling pressure” when prompted. For both examples, it can be best to allow for natural opportunities for communication without the added pressure of “use your device!”. Instead, try modeling and talking using their AAC system without expectation for them to use their AAC system to initiate or respond. You can “encourage” opportunities to build authentic communication using their AAC system by getting their “buy-in” without prompting during activities such as:

• Telling jokes using their AAC system
• Narrating or commenting on their favorite show or movie using their AAC system while you watch it together
• Use their AAC system to ask Alexa to play their favorite songs (we love a good dance party!)
• Have their siblings use the AAC system during a shared activity or interest (what kid doesn’t want to be just like their brother or sister when they’re little?)

Here are a couple more tips on encouraging your child’s AAC attempts:

• Even if you think your child tapped a button on their AAC system on accident, give meaning to it. For example, if they tapped on “apple”, you could respond by saying, “let’s go get an apple!” This validates their request and gives them the opportunity to communicate again if this wasn’t what they were trying to request.
• We often see children go through a “babbling” stage on their device; this phase typically doesn’t last long! Try to model use of their AAC system and bring meaning to the words they are choosing while “babbling”. This will help your child begin to understand the function of their AAC system so they can grow to gradually begin using it more meaningfully.
• Make sure you’re providing consistent availability of your child’s AAC system. Every child should have access to their voice at all times! 

Chloe is a Speech Pathologist at Picky Eaters Online who has a variety of experiences working with all ages. She has her Graduate Assistive Technology Certificate from East Carolina University, which allows her to evaluate and help individuals find a device to help them communicate. Chloe is offering virtual AAC consultations at the local and national level for pediatrics to adults with developmental disabilities. She can provide 1:1 training to individuals, their families, and ABA professionals to help integrate communication systems and can help tailor your child’s needs with a system that will help them grow their language skills. Contact Chloe by emailing her at chloe@pickyeatersonline.com or schedule your consultation here.

Selective Eating means limited or restricted food selections (usually less than 20) that have the potential to impact nutrition, development, and growth. The individual with selective eating typically shows interest in the foods they enjoy eating, but may refuse all other foods or even to eat meals with the family.

When treating selective eating, it is extremely important to find the root cause of the problem. Otherwise, we will never truly see results! There are four main causes of selective eating:

1. Sensory Concerns
An individual with sensory needs may show hypersensitivity to specific textures, tastes, sight, or smells. They may say things like:

• “I don’t like it”
• “I need a lot of spice”
• “I only like cold foods”
• “I don’t like how this [texture] feels in my mouth”

2. Medical Concerns
Some feeding concerns are related to certain medical conditions. Examples include chronic health problems such as ear infections, frequent respiratory infections, dental problems, or seizures. Other examples include  gastroparesis (slow emptying of the stomach), chronic or intermittent constipation, and pain or discomfort with feeding from things such as reflux or allergies. Some allergies are very difficult to diagnose, such as EoE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis), which takes special testing to examine and diagnose. You may hear an individual with underlying medical concerns say things like: 

• “It hurts”
• “I have/had allergies”
• “My tummy hurts” or “I have constipation”

3. Oral Motor Concerns
Another possible cause of selective feeding is oral motor concerns. Oropharyngeal and laryngeal anomalies can impact overall mechanics needed for feeding. The individual may have poor oral motor control or low/high muscle tone that can impact chewing and swallowing. They may say things like: 

• “I can’t”
• “My mouth gets exhausted from all of the chewing”
• “I can’t chew food well enough to swallow it”

4. Past Challenges

Finally, past and current challenges can cause selective feeding needs. Examples include parent-child conflict (especially surrounding food), parental anxiety, general anxiety, negative experiences related to the mouth (history of NG tubes, oral procedures, being on a ventilator, or surgeries), and time spent in the hospital as a baby (e.g., the NICU). This can also include negative past experiences with feeding, such as pain, coughing, vomiting, or gagging during feeding. Specific fear or anxiety around food is commonly referred to as ARFID, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and can commonly be caused by negative past experience with feeding. You may hear them say: 

• “I was force fed when I was smaller and now I’m nervous about it”
• “I have had negative experiences such as gagging or choking when I was eating and it’s hard for me to not feel like that now“ 
• “I like things to always be the same”

A Speech-Language Pathologist can evaluate your child’s needs through a comprehensive feeding evaluation, which includes an extensive health history. They can help determine the cause of your child’s feeding needs and work with you to develop a treatment plan.

Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online. She can answer your questions about feeding therapy, speech therapy, virtual therapy, and your child’s or teen’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com/ to book a free consultation.
Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services. 

Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC, describes any way that someone can communicate aside from talking. It helps support functional communication across a variety of contexts and can supplement language regardless of ability level. 

AAC can help support a child who…

• Isn’t talking much without prompting
• Can’t imitate verbal speech
• Echos what you say, but does not communicate independent or use words spontaneously
• Scripts
• Talks, but you cannot understand what they are saying
• Uses only nouns

Whether your child is 1 or 10, it’s NEVER too early or too late to start using Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC. Even older individuals who haven’t had access to a device can still benefit! Your child may benefit from basic low-tech communication systems to help reduce verbal pressure and increase their independence to communicate effectively, or from a language system on a device that helps expand their vocabulary and develop more novel utterances with practice, instruction, and modeling. 

Here are a couple of things we hear frequently: 
(1) My child can’t do “X”, “Y”, or “Z”, I don’t think they’re ready.
Yes, they are! There are absolutely NO prerequisites to introducing and using AAC, such as age, cognitive skill, motor ability, or linguistic knowledge. There are many different options when it comes to AAC, and a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can help you find the right one. 

(2) AAC will stop verbal speech or delay verbal speech.
Current research does not support this idea of AAC stopping or delaying verbal speech; it shows positive benefits on speech production! Use of AAC increases functional communication skills and language by reducing demand and pressure, such as motor and cognitive demands, during communication opportunities, allowing the AAC user to focus on their language using a variety of communication methods. Most kids benefit from the verbal, visual, and auditory feedback that is provided through use of AAC.

Common AAC Myths:
(1) AAC is a last resort for individuals
AAC should be considered as one of the first tools for speech and language intervention! It is a tool we can use to support a child’s speech and language skills, even if they can talk. AAC can give them access to additional vocabulary that will allow them to communicate more and more over time. 

(2) AAC devices are only for children with intact cognition.
Those with complex communication needs, regardless of their age, physical or cognitive abilities and disabilities need and deserve access to their voice. In these situations, earlier intervention with AAC is highly beneficial. Remember, it’s never too early or too late!

Chloe is a Speech Pathologist who has a variety of experiences working with all ages. She has her Graduate Assistive Technology Certificate from East Carolina University, which allows her to evaluate and help individuals find a device to help them communicate. Chloe is offering virtual AAC consultations at the local and national level for pediatrics to adults with developmental disabilities. She can provide 1:1 training to individuals, their families, and ABA professionals to help integrate communication systems and can help tailor your child’s needs with a system that will help them grow their language skills. Contact Chloe by emailing her at chloe@pickyeatersonline.com or schedule your consultation here.

There are several common questions (and misconceptions) that many people have when dealing with children and picky eaters. And it’s tough because there is so much conflicting information out there on the internet. Here are the answers to a few of the questions we hear most often. 

Question: Is it ever too late to get help for my picky eater? My child is 12 and still only eats like 5 foods. Is therapy only for little ones?
Answer: No! Many feeding therapists often see children who are older and can make significant gains.  Many times, older children with feeding difficulties may have undiagnosed conditions that make eating challenging that they have been struggling with their entire lives. A feeding evaluation or therapy can help these issues come to light and may provide some real answers and help.

Question: My child is “picky”. I am not sure if it is a sensory thing or maybe behavioral. Is it always one thing or the other?
Answer: Not always. Many times, sensory issues, like not wanting certain textures in our mouths, can lead to behavioral issues down the road. For example, if a child is young, and does not like the feel of an egg in his mouth, he may appear to have “behaviors” like screaming or spitting out food because he cannot express verbally what he does not like.  Over time, this screaming and spitting out occurs at more and more meals, and the child will develop many behaviors during meals in response to aversions.  That is why it is so important to get to the root cause of your child’s feeding difficulties, and why it is crucial that you find a professional who knows how to work with both sensory AND behavioral feeding challenges.

Question: If I give my child a variety of foods as a baby/toddler, they will automatically love a variety of foods. That is what I have always heard. Is that true?
Answer: Absolutely not. It is time to spread the word and stop all of the mom (and dad) guilt surrounding picky eating! You can give your child the world in terms of food variety when they are young, and you can still end up with a severely fussy or hesitant eater.  While exposure is super important, and highly recommended, no amount of exposure at 18 months old can guarantee a super adventurous eater at 4 years old.

Question: My child has a diagnosis of Autism.  Is it normal for them to also have eating challenges with this type of diagnosis?
Answer: It is extremely common for children on the Autism Spectrum to also have some type of feeding challenge.  While it may be sensory in nature, behavioral, oral-motor related, or a combination, children with ASD often have special feeding concerns that may need therapy to overcome.  You may hear things such as: 

• My son will eat fries, but ONLY from McDonalds
• My daughter can drink from a cup, but only red ones
• My child only likes smooth foods (or hot, cold, or crunchy) foods

This is not unusual at all, and in fact while selective eating among children with neurotypical development ranges from 10% to 35% (Reau, Senturia, Lebailly, & Christoffel, 1996; Wright, Parkinson, Shipton, & Drewett, 2007), among children with ASD the prevalence estimates range from 46% to 89% (Ledford & Gast, 2006).  

As you can see, there are a number of questions out there regarding pediatric feeding challenges! Please let us know your thoughts and what questions you may be having with your big or little ones and Kelly would be happy to answer them!
Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist in Orlando, Florida. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com. 

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

All Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC, users deserve access to core vocabulary. Core vocabulary makes up 60-80% of our vocabulary; it consists of vocabulary we use most frequently and that can be used across a variety of environments, such as “no,” “go,” or “you.” Sure, it’s also important to have pre-programmed phrases and sentences so the user can participate in activities with their friends and families; however, it’s highly important to have access to vocabulary needed to generate new utterances to express our thoughts and ideas. 

The Descriptive Teaching Model is a well-known and widely recommended model for supporting AAC users and learners. Since programming every single vocabulary word into the user’s AAC would be quite difficult (for you and for the user to learn), the Descriptive Teaching Model focuses on using vocabulary already programmed into the device and focuses on describing concepts. 

Using a Descriptive Teaching Model can be effective in supporting the learning of AAC, and in describing what we know about items. It can be especially helpful when we might not know where a certain word is within our language system or we just can’t think of the word (that happens to the best of us!). Examples might include, “squishy, soft, peel, yellow fruit,” “sweet, cold, cone,” 

A great way to elicit responses during meal times is for 1) the communication partner to describe food or ingredients needed for baking activity, 2) try using the phrase “tell me about your banana”. You can allow this to be an opportunity to teach and expand language with answers that are provided. Meal times can be a great time to foster social interactions and language opportunities for AAC! Think beyond requesting! 

Chloe is a Speech Pathologist who has a variety of experiences working with all ages. She has her Graduate Assistive Technology Certificate from East Carolina University, which allows her to evaluate and help individuals find a device to help them communicate. Chloe is offering virtual AAC consultations at the local and national level for pediatrics to adults with developmental disabilities. She can provide 1:1 training to individuals, their families, and ABA professionals to help integrate communication systems and can help tailor your child’s needs with a system that will help them grow their language skills. Contact Chloe by emailing her at chloe@pickyeatersonline.com or schedule your consultation here.

While summer-time is a great time to get out of the heat by going to the beach or hitting the pool, taking a high-tech device with you can sometimes lead to unexpected events (dead battery; if you're worried about sun, sand, or water damage) - and having access to communication is key! Here are a few links to some low-tech AAC that is easily available.

• https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/high-tech-or-light-tech-aac-for-any-situation
• https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/29
• https://www.enasco.com/p/Flip-and-Communicate-Wrist-Wrap%2BSN32244
• https://aaccommunity.net/2018/11/communication-boards/
• https://us.tobiidynavox.com/products/core-first-communication-books
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6_cQ95W8s3GSl9jLWhFc2J4b28/view?resourcekey=0-hhIk3WlnyVoVzVuIP7Sk2g
• https://smartysymbols.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SFY-core-words-printout-and-smarty-symbols-key.pdf​